My teammate brought in a half-eaten box of Aladdin chocolates today, one of the chocolate box staples that Swedes tend to grab off the grocery store shelves and give as a hostess gift. She brought it in because her family only eats the milk chocolate candies, which is approximately half of the box of 50 chocolates.

"Oh yum!" I said, and made a beeline for my two favorites: dark chocolate with strawberry cream and dark chocolate with lime cream. "I love dark chocolate! Don't you guys eat it at all?" She said she's never learned to like it and neither has her husband. I said I didn't like dark chocolate either until about 5 years ago or so, and now I can't get enough. I don't even like milk chocolate anymore, except in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, because it's just too sweet.

She said that gave me "vuxen poäng" (adult points), since it's only adults that like dark chocolate. :D

And that got me thinking, what else gives you adult points?

I mean, I KNOW there are things that every adult must do, to be considered an adult: take responsibility for yourself, make decisions, have financial independence...but I'm talking about the little things that give you that little extra fillip, those extra adult POINTS.

Things like graduate from college, get and maintain a full-time job, get married, pay bills, buy a house, have kids...they don't count. They are things that adults do, sure, but not ALL adults, at least not anymore.

At my instigation and with my training, we keep a running grocery list on the refrigerator and when anyone in the family finishes something that needs to be replaced, they know they should write it on the list. I often write things on the list that are ABOUT to run out, so that when they actually do, I already have the replacement. I don't buy a lot of extra stock, just the one that will be used soon when the current one is gone (whether that is toilet paper or hairspray or grapes). That's got to be good for some adult points!

I always write thank you cards (and make my children do it, too) for gifts received long-distance. I remember to file my taxes and do my FBARs every year. I keep an eye on the gas gauge in the car and fill it up before it gets very far below a quarter tank. I'm good at time management. I schedule doctor and dentist appointments by and for myself when they are necessary. I keep our house clean and tidy because I want to. I replace toothbrushes regularly.

I wait and plan and save to buy things I want, until we can afford it. Boring, but MASSES of adult points.

I taste before salting. Most of the time.

One website I looked at had a commenter who said that keeping certain things in the house like nail clippers (sharp ones), Q-tips, batteries, rubber bands, envelopes, etc., was one of things that he considered gave adult points. He had to make a conscious decision to buy and replenish those things...it wasn't like they were just somewhere in the house when he needed them, like they had been when he lived with his parents.

I suppose there are lots of things that you develop a taste for as an adult, like dark chocolate, that could potentially give you adult points for eating them. But if oysters and snails are on that list, then I'm still a kid at heart. Ew.

Edited to add: I realized some days after writing this that I must get minus adult points because I don't drink coffee OR tea (or alcohol, for that matter!). Haha! Back to where I started from!

I don't eat chocolate at all and have never understood why everyone loves the stuff. L-G only eats milk chocolate, so buy him Paradis and not Alladin!

I see that adulting is a trending tag on Twitter. I think I've been "adulting" (that still feels like a fake word) since I was a small child. As the eldest of such a large family, I had to take on a lot of adult responsibility at a very early age. I never got a chance to hide behind my childhood or adolescence as it was expected of me to be the responsible, capable and self sufficient one that people look up to and rely on.

I love dark chocolate. But I also love milk chocolate. I just can't mix them. If I am eating dark chocolate, and then get a milk chocolate--blech.

I think my Adult Points go to me when I give up something I really want for someone else to have it. Food, TV, time, etc. "I'm going to pack the rest for my lunch tomorrow!" Which means I don't get any! True confession: Sometimes I DON'T do this...I say, I haven't eaten yet so it's all MINE! Ha!

Oh, shit. I get minus points for these three as well. Although I do drink a bit on occasion...mostly for the other people in the crowd who like be able to "talk me into it" whatever with them. I can take it.

I'm enjoying reading all the adulting comments. I agree with the dark chocolate -although someone called me a dark chocolate snob - adult sounds soooo much nicer! And yes oysters count dfor adulting - I learned (tried them first on my honeymoon) -took awhile to grow up into that taste, and now I miss them since you don't come to Boston, so I can get really fresh ones! Adulting is also taking care of your parents - that's one Ican count. Does second childhood count?Love, Lizardmom